Game apparatus



n 1940- M. c. MORRILL GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR. Mme/v 61 MOE/PIA z ATTORNEY.

June 18, 1940. R L 2,205,218

GAME APPARATUS MYROA/ CMORRIL L ATTORNEY.

June 18, 1940. M. c. MORRILL. 2,205,218

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

The invention relates to game apparatus, more especially to a form ofbowling apparatus wherein balls are rolled or played along an alley orplatform to strike pins swingably suspended above the same.

It has for an object to provide in a compact and more or less portableunit swingably mounted pins and novel means for retaining a struck pinin elevated position, the particular position depending upon the degreeof impact of a played ball thereon.

The invention has for another object the provision of novel meanswhereby all elevated pins may simultaneously be released as byelectrical means operated from a remote point and restored to the normalvertical position. v

A further object of the invention is to pro vide clutching mechanismbetween certain of the pins whereby these pins will be elevated not onlywhen struck directly, but when an associated pin is struck rather thansaid pin.

Still another object of the invention is to so arrange the free andclutched pins that it becomes possible to throw a strike with a single'ball or a spare with two balls, notwithstanding that all of the pinsare suspended and therefore constrained to a definite plane of movement.

In carrying out the invention, provision is top of the floor into acompartment or pit into which -pit is received a spent ball afterdelivery over the floor in the playing of the game. Between the sides ofthe structure are located transverse rows of pins which are swingablysuspended upon transverse shafts supported in the said sides.

These shafts are designed to be rotated all in one direction, andpreferably simultaneously, to cause a pin or pins mounted thereon topartake of the rotation of the shaft for restoring a pin to its normalvertical position after having been struck by a ball and elevated. Whensuch pin is struck by a ball, it will be elevated to a degree dependingupon the impact and will be held in the elevated position throughengagement of pawl and ratchet means, for example, as a pawl carried byand rotatable with its supporting shaft engaging an internal ratchetelement through which the shaft passes and carried by a correspondingpin.

Provision is made,.furthermre, through suitable clutch means on certainof the shafts whereby when predetermined pins are struck by a playedball an associated pin will also be elevated even though when notdirectly struck by the ball, such associated pin, however, when struckdirectly by a ball not carrying with it the first-named pin.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood whendescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the pin end of the game apparatusand illustrates the novel mounting and arrangement of the pins, severalof which are indicated in the upset or elevated position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof taken on the line 2-2, Fig. lof the drawings, and looking in the direction of the arr0ws;'and Fig. 3is a similar view taken on the line 33, Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a detail, fragmentary view, partly in longitudinal section, ofone of the rows of pins, and viewed from the side of a pin opposite thatof an on coming ball.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken on the line5--5, Fig. 4 of the draw ings, and looking in the direction of thearrows.

Figs. 6, '7, and 8 are fragmentary elevations and part vertical sectionsof a pin and its supporting and stop means, Fig. 6 showing the pin inits normal upright position; Fig. 7, in the prone position after havingbeen struck by a ball, and Fig. 8, in its restored vertical position. I

Referring to the drawings, Ill designates a box-like structure which isopen at the top and comprises the sides H and i2 and the bottom I 13with back or apron [4, from which depends a swingable back-stop I5. Thebottom [3 is, as shown, preferably inclined upwardly toward the backwall I4 and terminates thereat in a trans- 40 verse opening l6 throughwhich a played ball passes to be returned through a trough I! inwell-known manner to the front of the game apparatus.

Between the sides H and I2 four parallel and horizontally disposedshafts 20, 2!, 22, and 23 are rotatably mounted at successively higher10- cations to follow the inclination of the bottom 13. Suitablebearings for the respective shafts are provided in the opposite sides,as shown; and at one side the shafts project through to receive wormwheels 24, 25, 26, and 21, respectively, engaging corresponding wormgears 28, 29, 30, and 3|, respectively, of a worm shaft driven from anelectric motor 32 mounted at the side 56 of the structure. Operation ofthe motor is preferably controlled from the play end of the apparatus(not shown) through a suitable control circuit indicated at 33.

On the respective shafts are arranged to swing the pins to be played;and, as shown, shaft 20 is designed to carry but a single pin 35; shaft2i, two pins 36 and 31; shaft 22, three pins 38, 39, and it; while shaft23 carries four pins 41, 42, 43, and 44. The arrangement of the pins isthat generally adopted in standard ten pin bowling games where the pinsare not suspended. The pins are designed to be elevated when their lowerend is struck by a ball rolled over the floor l3, which may be extendedthe desired length in a direction opposite the box-like structure end.

To permit a pin to swing freely on its shaft, and at the same time toremain in elevated position after being struck and until released, a pinis mounted, for example, upon a sleeve 45, the pin being transverselybored through as at 46 to accommodate the sleeve in a more or lessforced fit, and at a position such that the axis of rotation or swing ofthe pin may be at or, preferably, somewhat above its center of gravity.A sleeve, furthermore, is provided with an end flange or with a ringelement 4'? having nail or screw openings 48 through which fasteningmeans may be driven into the pin so that the latter and the sleeve withring become one member. The position of the sleeve with respect to thepin may be further assured by means of a screw 48' passing through theside of a pin and threaded into its sleeve.

Ring 47, moreover, is provided with an internal ratchet element 49 whoseteeth are engaged by a-pawl 50 mounted in the shaft upon which the pinsare carried and projecting radially therefrom, being spring-urgedoutwardly by a coil spring 5| to engage the teeth of the ratchet in sucha manner that the said teeth may ride freely thereover in the directionindicated by the arrow (1, Fig. 5 of the drawings, when a pin is struckby a ball and swung upwardly. Of course, the pawl and ratchet meansshown may be reversed, if desired.

- By this expedient, no appreciable return movement of the pin is had assuch return movement will be checked by the pawl engaging a tooth of theratchetsee Fig. 7 of the drawingsand from which it will be noted thatthe pawl has not changed from its vertical position indicated in Fig. 6,although the pin has swung approximately through an angle of 90. Ofcourse, a pin may assume various intermediate positions depending uponthe degree of impact.

To restore elevated pins to the normal upright position indicated inFig. 8 of the drawings, it is necessary merely to operate motor 32 byclosing the electric circuit 33 thereto. This will cause the variousshafts to rotate simultaneously in the direction indicated by the arrowb, Fig. 5, and any pins in the prone or an intermediate position will becarried along until the lower portion of the pin engages one of the stoprods 20, 2|, 22, 23' disposed immediately in front of and somewhat belowthe corresponding shafts 20, 2|, 22, and 23. Continued rotation of theshafts will not objectionably affect the apparatus as the pawl willmerely slip over the ratchet teeth, although rotation of the motorshould be stopped before further balls are played.

It will be apparent that with the suspended pin type of bowling game asordinarily arranged,

it is not possible to make a strike with a single ball, since each ofthe freely swinging pins is constrained to movement in a definite planeand is not free to be thrown about as in the case of standard bowlingpractice utilizing unattached pins. However, this result may be securedby the novel association herein set forth between certain pins whereby,notwithstanding that all the pins are freely swingable, certain of thepins when struck by a ball will also carry with them a further pin.

Thus, reference being had more especially to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, thefirst row of pins, namely that of the shaft 20, is constituted of but asingle pin 35 and the next row of two pins 36, 3'1, each freely andindependently swingable. In the case of the pins mounted on the thirdshaft 22, however, the intermediate pin 39 is arranged to be coupled toits adjacent end pins 38 and 40, though in a manner such that if eitherof these end pins be struck by a ball, the pin will swing freely and beelevated similarly to the pins 35, 38, and 31.

The coupling arrangement may conveniently be embodied in the sleeves forthe different pins as in providing at the inner end of sleeve 45 of thepin 40 a tooth juxtaposed to a similar tooth 56 at the cooperating endof a divided sleeve 45 of the pin 39. The other half of this sleevecarries also a tooth 5'! cooperating with a tooth 58 of the sleeve 45"of pin 38. Thus, if the pin 39 be struck by a ball, the two sets ofengaging teeth will cause the sleeves 45 and 45" to be carried alongwith sleeve 45 of the said pin 39; but if either of the pins 38 or 40 bestruck, the juxtaposed teeth will separate and only the particular pinstruck will be elevated.

Similarly, in the case of the rearmost shaft 23, the end pins 4! and 44may be coupled to their respective intermediate pins 42 and 43 throughthe clutch elements 60 and GI, respectively. The end pins may,therefore, be swung without actuation of an intermediate associated pin,for example, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, but if either ofthe intermediate pins 42 or 43 be struck, the corresponding associated Iend pin will also be elevated.

The general arrangement of the pins on the shaft is such that a ballhitting the first pin 35 and passing straight through the set of pinswill also strike the two pins 36 and 31, the pin 39 which causes pin 38and pin 40 also to be swung upwardly-and the two pins 42 and 43, whichin'turn will cause the end pins 4| and 44 to be swung upwardly, thusmaking a strike. The position of the pins on the shafts is fixed bysuitable collars and the lengths of the different sleeves.

I claim:

1. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotatably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, pins swingably mounted thereon, and means connectingthe pins to their respective shafts to permit a pin to swing in onedirection independently of the rotation of its shaft, together withmeans to rotate positively all of the said shafts.

2. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotatably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, pins swingably mounted thereon above theirrespective centers of gravity, and pawl and ratchet means interposedbetween the pins and their respective shafts, together with means torotate positively all of the said shafts.

3. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rot'atably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, pins having respective sleeves passing therethroughfor swingably mounting a pin on a shaft, an internal ratchet elementmovable with a sleeve and its pin, and a spring-urged pawl elementcarried by a shaft to engage a corresponding ratchet element of pin,together with means to rotate the said shafts.

4. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotat'ably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, pins swingably mounted thereon, means connecting thepins to their respective shafts to permit a pin to swing in onedirection independently of the rotation of its shaft, and means torotate all of the respective shafts in a direction opposite that of theswing of the pins.

5. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotatably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, pins swingably mounted thereon, means connecting thepins to their respective shafts to permit a pin to swing in onedirection independently of the rotation of its shaft, and means torotate simultaneously all of the respective shafts in a directionopposite that of the swing of the pins.

6. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotatably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, pins swingably mounted thereon, pawl and ratchetmeans interposed be tween the pins and their respective shafts, and anelectric motor for rotating the respective shafts in a directionopposite that of the swing of the pins, together with intermediategearing and a control circuit for the motor.

7. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotatably supported between the sides of abox-like structure, means for mounting thereon pins swingable in onedirection independently of the rotation of the shaft, clutching meansmounted upon certain of the shafts for communicating the swing of one ofa pair of pins to its associated pin, the clutch means operating topermit said associated pin to swing independently of the said one pinwhen struck by a played ball.

8. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: four parallel,horizontally disposed shafts rotatably supported one behind the otherbetween the sides of a box-like structure, a single pin mounted on theforemost shaft, two pins mounted on the second of the shafts, three onthe third of the shafts, and four on the rearmost shaft, saidpins beingswingable on their respective shafts in one direction independently ofthe rotation of the shafts, clutching means mounted upon the third shaftand clutching means mounted upon the rearmost shaft for communictingrespectively the swing of the intermediate pin on the third shaft toeither of its adjacent end pins and the swing of either of the twointermediate pins of the rearmost shaft to its respective adjacent endpin.

9. In game apparatus of the nature set forth: a plurality of parallel,shafts rotatably supported between the sides of a box-like structure,means for mounting thereon pins swingable in one direction independentlyof the rotation of the shafts and including a sleeve carried by a pin,certain of said sleeves having-juxtaposed clutch teeth for communicatingthe swing of one of a pair of pins to its associated pin, and operatingto permit said associated pin to swing independently of the said one pinwhen struck by a played ball.

MYRON C. MORRILL.

horizontally disposed

